Three alternatives for the Valletta entrance

To many, this was a bucketful of ice in the middle of summer, especially since news arrived only after a few days of the unveiling of Austin Camilleri’s beautiful piece of art ‘Żieme’ (currently the centrepiece of VIVA – the Valletta International Visual Arts festival). Culture Minister Owen Bonnici praised Camilleri’s art and many breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe, with Bonnici at the helm of culture, Malta can start expecting something other than the usual brass knights and historical figures being erected at every empty corner in the hope of embellishment and a nod to Malta’s past.

Turns out it was all a bubble of hope which was quickly burst when the MEPA notice for the Knights’ sculpture was issued. It does feel like the sculpture was commissioned without taking any notice of the current designs and will be placed there ‘just because’.

Since ‘just because’ seems to be the modus operandi of filling up empty spaces in the Capital I thought I’d offer a few suggestions the Government can find on MaltaPark.com for the fraction of the price. Thoughtful right?

Sottospecchio Nothing screams entrance hall more than the good old sottospecchio. In certain instances it can also come complete with a free haunting for all those special guests who enter Valletta.

Tork tat-Taraġ Statues who to this day still feel incredibly racist and still terrify children everywhere, the Torok tat-Taraġ would be a great addition to the entrance of Valletta. Afterall, like the Knights, the Turks too dipped their invading thumbs into Malta.

Par Vażuni Antiki Because, why the hell not? These are the pride and glory for many homes in Malta. Antique vases whose purpose is to never hold any flowers have been the rage for decades now.

Do you have any other suggestions? If you do, simply share your thoughts below.